New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-29
AN ABSENTEE CONTROLLERS.
MR. CHAPINs WAY OF DOING HIS WORK.


ONE DAY WEEK IN ALBANIAN EFFORT ~ w.
OFF THE PAY OF CLERKS CAUSES SHARP Chilli
CIsM IN THE SENATE.
,v,ov THE rgGUIAR CORRESPONDENT or THE 1RfbcS''I
Albany. Jan. 2s.-Alired C. Chaplin, OF brooki!n
when elected Controller In 1883, it would appear IT,
solved 70 conduct that Office by depoty' ino '''l
. ab, entee CONTROLLER" it would seem, Is ono "''
sucb an ambitious politician as Mr.. Chap'h "ouiu
10 n, old But he lives in BROOKLYN cohu"o''
business actively in New-YorR CITY, anu ONE W."
makes short visit to Albany People VINO nav
sired 10 see him on OH .al business nave i,
that thev must call on Wednesday at the ContTosf
olice as on all other DAYS he is apt to be OUT or
Chapin Ia paid $4,000 year by the peoplo VI 'no
State 10 serve them and obviously Is royaIy re,
warded if he does only davis work week, anu
gets Sill IL for it, His predecessors IN inc once Vi
Controller found /; necessary 10 live III Albany ~
In view OF Mr.. Chapin's absentesisni an u u. .L
which was made uDon the per diem employees OF the
Legislature by Deputy Controller HAL to-dav i
upon by both Democratic and kepupllcan In The
the Legislature astonishing perfoi Nance. ~ ' ~.
Senate Jones called attenuon W
that in signing the certihcateS |niIn ad q
seven days pay to the employees, he had u
precedent set BY Alfred C. Chaplin himself, as 1hs
Democratic Speaker OF the Assembly IN 1920 AM IN, II
those other distinguished Democrats, !avin nnd VIII
Lieutenant Governor from 1883 to 1882 ana w IL
lam Dorsheimer, Lieutenant-Governor from 10" u
1880. Mr.. Jones said 80 ,,,os
when the present incnmbent sssu uei nod heen
OF President of the Senate. he found that u h'u ,
the custom of his predecessors so lar as nc coui
certain and OF the Speakers of tho Assembly 10 co
strue these words in the law, INC ioiomnS th co.
sation shall he paid for the annual session oi t, =.
islatmre In it's reference TO the per diem enPoes
incinde as the annual session all the drys IRON inc
meeting of the Legislature to the ago ~
This construction of the law has been - known 10
All Ie latures since its enactment in 1878 the Law
of 1856 making no change In TINS tcspsoS and the
tacit approval Of the various Legislatures "nu .o
following of this practice by his predecessors,
Lieutenant Governors Hoskins and HUI. rre,iden'
pro tenn Mccarthy, the Speakers OF the m ai,od
Cnntrn llrrC uanlu.
the Speakers cha and the appro' al OF inc seNeL
Controllers including the present monument nav. ~.
hun the conclusion. whether sustained pS s h
construction of the statute or not. tnat custom a
made the practice law II this construction Is wrong
it is wi hin the power of the Legislature to remedy
The President OF the Senate having rec'lVeu
recommendation ION the Deputy Controller, crlte,s
Ing the construction OF the law respectfully asks Int
direction of the Senate In regard the'e'o"
Mr. Jones then read the following letter 10 tno 0cn
q It "a roticed that in the legislative warrants you
certify TO the attendance OF such employees OF inc
Senate as receive per uiem compensation ior 1cNcn
DAYS in be week II heinz a that such employees
are not present two and sometimes three OF the days
of the seven will You please III oIn lhe uelai e ~
what authority they rtrd to be in attendance IA
ccrks ETC. Tor the whole number OF DAYS inclusive Oh
Sunday and what IT any. authority the 'onuolcr
has to allow such clerks tor SERVED eHcep' 'o
when actually in performance OF Their c!crichi uufs'
MANY mistakes in the engrOss ng OF the eIl-at'c en-
acnents are noticed each and 1t rs probahlc mat
if the onprossing and other clerks were onIgeh 10
spend their time here their per diem SLOW
anre more tim, would be given to tranScTlbpg ana
cnnpar ~ and fewer errors would creep N.
Senator Sloan rep said that in his opinion Lieu,
Governor Jones had followed prccedents ana
was Justified in what he had done in signing the cert n
Gates In his opinion the Senate should susfhh Mr'
Jones and mi old him confirming 10 sign the war
rants until the matter had been decided by me courts
Doubtless Controller Chaplin would take the matter
into the conrts bat in the meanwhile the IentcDant
GoyerDor snnnld follow preccdcuts He moved that
the Senate should adopt n re-olution directing the
Lieutenant rernor TO SIN the certificates granting
seven DAYS pay in the usua, manner
Senator Fierce (Dem.) sad that the Democratic
Senators would t,nd by L'euicnnnt-Governor Jones
and the Republic Senator'S in the position they had
taken in tic matter ,
senator Fassett remarked that in his opinion Mr..
Hollis Letter was hgnly imperiinent
The Senate th"n by unanimous yots passed senator
Sloou's resolution sustaining Leutenant-'io'ernor
Jones N hi. action and directing him To continue til,
practice till The couis give decision on the dispute